diff --git a/content/my-response-to-contempt-culture.md b/content/my-response-to-contempt-culture.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3bae2e9 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/my-response-to-contempt-culture.md @@ -0,0 +1,44 @@ +--- +title: My response to Aurynn Shaw's "Contempt Culture" post +date: 2022-03-27 +--- + +> This post is day 6 of me taking part in the +> [#100DaysToOffload](https://100daystooffload.com/) challenge. + +I recently came across [Aurynn Shaw's article on "Contempt Culture"](https://blog.aurynn.com/2015/12/16-contempt-culture/). +I'm a bit late to the party, but I wanted to talk about this too. + +Aurynn's article talks about how some programming languages are considered +inferior, and programmers using these languages are considered less competent. +It's a good article, and you should take a look at it if you haven't. + +## my thoughts + +One thing I've come to realize over the years is that there are really no "bad +programming languages". Ignoring esolangs like brainfuck which are not really +meant to be used for anything serious, most programming languages are designed +to fit a niche. I'm using the term like it's used in ecology: every programming +language has a place in the ecosystem of technology and programming. + +PHP is bad? PHP certainly has its drawbacks, but it also has its advantages. +"Drop these files into a folder and it works" is an amazing way to get started +programming. It's also a great way to inject a bit of dynamic content into +otherwise static pages. In fact, it's simpler and more straightforward solution +than building a REST API and a web app where you have to re-invent server side +rendering just to get back to where PHP already was! + +That's not to say PHP is perfect or the best language to use. It's a language I +personally don't like. But that doesn't make it a bad or "stupid" programming +language. At worst it's a programming language that doesn't fit my needs. If I +extrapolate that and say that PHP is a bad language, that would instead show my +ego. Do I really think I'm so great that anything I don't like is just +immediately bad? Something Aurynn said resonates with me here: + +> It didn't matter that it was (and remains) difficult to read, it was that we +> were better for using it. + +I just want to conclude this with one thing: next time you think a programming +language or tool or whatever is bad, think to yourself whether that's because it +doesn't feel cool or because you saw others making fun of it, or because you +actually evaluated the pros and cons and came up with a calculated decision.